Ebony is a member of the diospyros
family. In the older trees, the wood is very black accounting for
the reputation of this wood. Colors in actual pieces vary quite a
bit with at least a little brown being seen in all but our upper grades.
Truly black pieces are extremely rare now. Ebony can vary somewhat in density.
Variances from .80 to 1.16 are possible. What today is called
ebony is probably not the wood called by the Egyptians and in the Bible
as ebony. It seems that african blackwood was the wood they were
referring to. Ebony is darker however. Ebony grading system:
(Based on EXTERNAL appearances--generally the inside is the same but not
always)Grade B: Black/brown wood with noticeable
lines that are dk. brown, and are usually not hidden without dyeing.
Dye is cheaper than dark wood!Grade A: Black wood with minor dk. brown
lines, that SOMETIMES disappear through normal finishing or dyeing.Grade A+: Black
wood with very occasional tiny brown areas that are almost unnoticeable
looking at the exterior of the wood.Grade AA: Very black wood that is almost all
black on external surfaces (98%+) even before finishing. Very occasional
tiny off color areas allowed if 98% black.Grade AAA: Wood that is black
as coal, very rare now--we haven't had a new piece like this in years and encourage you to be skeptical if someone says they have perfect black wood to sell. We have investigated claims like that and have so far always found them to be false unless it is a tiny piece of wood (with the exception of a very few pieces of Madagascar Ebony). Some vendors take A or B grade wood and cover it in thick wax to make it appear they have AAA grade, we grade based on the bare wood color. Kiln-dried: Each size
that is kiln-dried is specifically marked. Those not marked kiln-dried==
are not kiln-dried. NO SHIPPING OUTSIDE THE USA--NOW A RESTRICTED SPECIES IF the item is marked with a *

Ebony
1 x 1 x 12 AA gradePrice: $21.00 (out of stock for now, we are working on it!)Qty:

Kiln-dried/Air dried ebony (very
hard to get)Note: We only claim "dried"
for wood below 12% moisture content. (Each kiln-dried item says kd or kiln-dried on the item, air dried items say AD or air dried.)This section also now includes pieces that are air dried and have been measured with a properly programmed moisture meter, confirming the moisture level is 12% or below. Be aware that normal moisture meters cannot measure woods this dense and WILL give false readings. Our readings have been properly taken. Air dried is the best way to dry ebony. The reason is that kiln drying can cause internal checks that cannot be seen until you have cut into the wood. That is a rare problem though, but we have seen it in some pieces that were kiln dried (maybe 2% of the time).

RARE larger dried pieces in high quality color. This pic shows finished wood, see below for bare wood.
It takes about 3 years to get pieces of this size dry, and normally 20% of the wood is lost to cracking under the very best conditions. This photo shows this ebony with a clear coat of shellac, to give an idea of what the finished wood could look like. See all four pics below of the bare wood sides of these pieces (this is what other vendors don't show--they only show the wood after finishing because that prevents the customer from knowing how black the wood is). If two grades are listed, it means that the piece is in between the two grades. So if it says AA/A+, that means it is in between the two grades. The first one listed is AA, so it is closer to AA than A+. All defects have been removed..

This photo shows this ebony with a clear coat of shellac, to give an idea of what the finished wood could look like. See all four pics below of the bare wood sides of these pieces (this is what other vendors don't show--they only show the wood after finishing because that prevents the customer from knowing how black the wood is). We want you to see the actual piece you are buying, but finishing can make even A grade look close to all black. All pieces dry (for real) of course. If two grades are listed, it means that the piece is in between the two grades. So if it says AA/A+, that means it is in between AA and A+ grades. The first one listed is AA, so it is closer to AA than A+. All defects have been removed.

This photo shows this ebony with a clear coat of shellac, to give an idea of what the finished wood could look like. See all four pics below of the bare wood sides of these pieces (this is what other vendors don't show--they only show the wood after finishing because that darkens it). We want you to see the actual piece you are buying, but finishing can make even A grade look close to all black. All pieces dry (for real) of course. Note that ebony is a little bit more brittle then some woods, and just because it is dry does not mean it won't crack if you get it super hot sanding it (if you cannot comfortably put your hand on it--then is too hot) or by hitting it with a hard object like a hammer, or dropping it on a cement floor.

This photo shows this ebony with a clear coat of shellac, to give an idea of what the finished wood could look like. See all four pics below of the bare wood sides of these pieces (this is what other vendors don't show--they only show the wood after finishing because that darkens it). Note that the grading system is based on us looking at the wood when it is completely bare wood, not finished. These are shown bare wood with no wax or finish to hide the grain. We want you to see the actual piece you are buying, but finishing can make even A grade look close to all black. All pieces dry (for real) of course. Note that ebony is a little bit more brittle then some woods, and just because it is dry does not mean it won't crack if you get it super hot sanding it (if you cannot comfortably put your hand on it--then is too hot) or by hitting it with a hard object like a hammer, or dropping it on a cement floor.

PLEASE READ THE GRADING SYSTEM AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF A, A+, AA ETC. If two grades are shown, it is in between those two grades.Pieces missing below have sold.

Click photo to see second side. The first two photos show sides with Anchorseal wax, to give an idea of what the finished wood could look like. The second two photos show the 3rd and 4th sides which are bare wood. We want you to see the actual piece you are buying, but finishing can make even A grade look close to all black. All pieces dry (for real) of course. Note that ebony is a little bit more brittle then some woods, and just because it is dry does not mean it won't crack if you get it super hot sanding it (if you cannot comfortably put your hand on it--then is too hot) or by hitting it with a hard object like a hammer, or dropping it on a cement floor. NOTES: Pieces are a mix of grade A and A +. the fineness of the grain is unbelievable which is one reason this ebony type is so special, and many think it is the best of all ebony types. Should be good for ornamental turnery. Botanical name is: Diospyros perreiri .

THIS GROUP IS SOLD. WE HAVE MORE TO CUT, IF WAITING FOR THIS TYPE WOOD, LET US KNOW ALONG WITH THE SIZE YOU WANT.Email us

* Means this item cannot be shipped outside the USA due to international trade regulations. Items not marked with a * are OK to ship outside the USA

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